X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

How Useful Are Expert Mocks? A Side-by-Side Comparison

There are a lot of expert mock drafts out there. They're useful because they give you a good idea of who people who write about fantasy football are targeting.

But there are a LOT more people who play fantasy football who aren't writers, and the drafts you actually do this month are bound to look a lot different than the expert mock drafts you see on fantasy football websites. I wanted to get an idea of what a normal draft might look like so we could talk about the differences, so I asked for volunteers on Twitter to do a mock. I got 11 people plus myself, since Sleeper wouldn't let me make a mock and then not be part of it.

Here's the link to the draft board. Here, for comparison, is the link to our most recent staff mock. Let's talk about some of the key takeaways from the non-writers mock.

Editor's Note: Our incredible team of writers won two writing awards and received 12 award nominations by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. A big congrats to our very own Byron Lindeque (Golf) and Jordan McAbee (NASCAR) for both winning Writer Of The Year awards! Be sure to follow RotoBaller's analysis and advice all year long, and win more. Win More With RotoBaller!

 

Non-Expert Mock Results

 

Expert Mock Results

 

The Value Of Quarterbacks

In our non-writer mock, the first quarterback off the board was Patrick Mahomes at 3.2. In our staff mock, the first quarterback off the board was Patrick Mahomes at 4.11. Mahomes was the only quarterback to go before Round 6 in our staff mock, but in the non-writer mock we had Aaron Rodgers and Andrew Luck go in the fifth and then Deshaun Watson go earlier in the sixth than a QB went in the staff mock.

By the end of Round 10, the non-writer mock had seen 12 quarterbacks drafted. In the staff mock, 10 quarterbacks had gone.

Quarterbacks go earlier in real drafts. While I'm still an advocate for waiting on the position, expert mocks can mislead you about how long you're able to wait on the position. When you sit down with your home league and devote yourself to waiting until Round 10 for a quarterback, there's a good chance the pickings will be a lot slimmer than you'll think they'll be.

The non-writer mock also had a run of four straight quarterbacks in the 10th. Every team that didn't have one panicked and grabbed one. Runs happen in real life. You pass up on a QB and by the next time you're up, Josh Allen is the best guy left. I still think you should slow your roll when it comes to your QB and not jump the gun with, like, a fifth-round pick of Russell Wilson or something, but be willing to be proactive if there's a certain guy you want.

 

The Early Rounds Looked Basically The Same

Both drafts started with the big four backs in some order (and Ezekiel Elliott fourth of those guys) and then DeAndre Hopkins. 11 of the first-round picks were the same in each league, with the only difference being Tyreek Hill making the first round in the staff mock and Dalvin Cook making the first round in the non-writer mock.

Round 2 was basically the same. Damien Williams fell to the third in the non-writer mock. The couple of days between drafts made Melvin Gordon go from a second-rounder in the non-writer version to a third-rounder in the staff mock.

The first three or four rounds of any fantasy draft are probably going to look virtually the same unless you're in a league where someone doesn't know what they're doing. Everyone in the non-writer mock knew what they were doing, so nothing too wild happened, like when someone in my home league picked Jimmy Garoppolo as the first quarterback off the board last year.

 

The Second Tight End Run

Travis Kelce went in the second round in both. Zach Ertz and George Kittle went in the third round in both. Beyond that, it was hard to really make much sense of the difference between the drafts until the very end.

O.J. Howard went Round 5 in the staff mock, but once Round 6 hit, both drafts featured middle rounds where we saw one or two tight ends go per round. There wasn't really a run, because everyone seemed to have a different strategy when it came to what tight ends to target.

The big difference was that in the non-writer, once people started drafting their second tight end, everyone started drafting their second tight end. Between pick 13.8 and 14.9, seven tight ends were picked.

One thing that a lot of fantasy writers will say is that you don't need to draft a second tight end. Only half of the staff league did. But three-quarters of the teams in the non-writer mock went with second tight ends. Two of the teams who didn't drafted right after the run, so I'm willing to guess that part of why they didn't grab a second tight end was because there was no one left.

And that's the big tight end takeaway. In your home league, people are going to take a second tight end, and if you're planning to run with just one, it might be a good idea to pick one of the top five or six players at the position. Because the tight end waiver wire is looking really thin this year, so taking someone like Trey Burton or Mark Andrews as your only tight end and hoping you can get production off waivers won't work when everyone owns all the tight ends.

 

Kickers and Defenses

Both mock drafts featured defense and kicker because while Twitter would lead you to believe that no one in the world plays with those things, in actuality most leagues still feature them.

In the staff mock, no D/ST went until the Bears at 14.3, and no kicker went until Greg Zuerlein at 15.3. Two teams -- including me -- went D/ST in 14 and kicker in 15, while everyone else saved one or the other for the final round. I liked that strategy for me, which gave me a shot at top pieces at both positions while not sacrificing too much by waiting a little longer to grab my last position player.

In the non-writer mock, that strategy didn't work so well.

The first D/ST taken there were the Bears in the ninth round and by the end of Round 12, four D/ST had gone. For kickers, the first kicker taken was Zuerlein in the 13th, with Justin Tucker going one spot later. Only five defenses or kickers went in the draft's final round, as most teams had their starters at those positions already. One team took two D/ST. No one took two kickers.

The takeaway? In reality, people don't wait as long on these positions. If you're devoted to streaming, that's good for you, as it means you can stock up on position players earlier. But if you're someone who plans to take a top kicker or defense and hold onto them (which, hey, I've done it in the past and won leagues), you can't wait until the final three rounds to do so.

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Nick Senzel39 mins ago

Expected To Miss 3-4 Weeks
Jon Gray42 mins ago

To Start On Sunday
Justin Steele47 mins ago

Likely To Go On Injured List
Anfernee Simons3 hours ago

Out Against The Heat
Max Kepler3 hours ago

X-Rays Come Back Negative On Max Kepler
Keldon Johnson3 hours ago

Questionable For Friday
Justin Steele3 hours ago

Has Left-Hamstring Tightness
Matisse Thybulle3 hours ago

Questionable For Friday
Davis Bertans3 hours ago

Listed As Probable For Friday
Jusuf Nurkic3 hours ago

Questionable Against Oklahoma City
Dario Saric4 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Friday
Noah Clowney4 hours ago

Probable For Nets Friday
Jonathan Kuminga4 hours ago

Questionable For Warriors Friday
Jerami Grant4 hours ago

Considered Doubtful For Friday
Dennis Smith4 hours ago

Jr. Probable For Friday
Lauri Markkanen4 hours ago

Questionable Against Houston
Toumani Camara4 hours ago

Will Not Play Friday
Justin Steele4 hours ago

Exits Thursday's Start
Richaun Holmes4 hours ago

Out Versus Pistons
Cameron Johnson4 hours ago

Out Against Chicago On Friday
Luka Doncic4 hours ago

On The Injury Report For Friday
David Bednar4 hours ago

Still Dealing With Lat Injury
Deandre Ayton4 hours ago

Is Questionable For Friday
Rudy Gobert4 hours ago

Might Miss Friday's Game
Tyus Jones4 hours ago

Unavailable For Friday
Zeke Nnaji5 hours ago

Ruled Out Against Minnesota
Jaden Ivey5 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Friday
Rhys McKee5 hours ago

Searching For First UFC Win
Anthony Edwards5 hours ago

Uncertain For Friday Night
Chidi Njokuani5 hours ago

Drops Back Down To Welterweight At UFC Atlantic City
Kyle Nelson5 hours ago

An Underdog Again At UFC Atlantic City
Bill Algeo5 hours ago

Eyes Sixth UFC Win
Joaquin Buckley5 hours ago

Gets Ranked Opponent At UFC Atlantic City
Vicente Luque5 hours ago

Gets Short-Notice Opponent At UFC Atlantic City
Eduardo Rodriguez6 hours ago

Could Throw Off Mound In 5-7 Days
Max Kepler6 hours ago

Leaves On Opening Day With Injury
Nick Senzel6 hours ago

Suffers Broken Thumb
Jason Foley6 hours ago

Earns The Save For Tigers
Tarik Skubal7 hours ago

Tosses Six Scoreless Innings On Opening Day
Corbin Burnes7 hours ago

Pitches A Gem On Opening Day
Royce Lewis8 hours ago

Exits With Quad Injury
Max Scherzer9 hours ago

Throws Bullpen Session
Clayton Kershaw9 hours ago

"Ahead Of Things" Timetable-Wise
Walker Buehler9 hours ago

Ahead Of Schedule
Corey Seager9 hours ago

Active On Opening Day
Oneil Cruz9 hours ago

Batting Sixth On Opening Day
Bryan Reynolds11 hours ago

In Opening Day Lineup
Jordan Romano13 hours ago

Not Expected To Be Out Long
Aaron Ekblad14 hours ago

Returning To Panthers Lineup Thursday
Nikita Kucherov14 hours ago

Establishes New Career High With 42nd Goal
Shane Pinto14 hours ago

Collects Career-High Four Points
Valeri Nichushkin14 hours ago

Nursing A Lower-Body Injury
Samuel Girard15 hours ago

Battling An Illness
J.K. Dobbins15 hours ago

Visiting With Chargers On Thursday
Oskar Sundqvist15 hours ago

To Miss Rest Of Season With Torn ACL
Ethan Bear15 hours ago

Enters Player Assistance Program
Mark Hubbard1 day ago

Coming Off A Career Performance
Davis Thompson1 day ago

Looking To Pay Off A Stellar Run Of Ball-Striking
Akshay Bhatia1 day ago

Coming Into Houston With Confidence
Thorbjorn Olesen1 day ago

Still Trying To Find Footing On U.S. Soil
Patrick Rodgers1 day ago

Fighting Inconsistencies Heading Into Houston
Malik Nabers1 day ago

Shines At Pro Day
Carolina Panthers1 day ago

Jadeveon Clowney Signing Two-Year Deal With Panthers
Wyndham Clark1 day ago

Battling Back Injury Ahead of Houston Open
San Francisco 49ers1 day ago

Talanoa Hufanga Expected To Return At Training Camp
Jayden Daniels1 day ago

Raiders To Meet With Jayden Daniels
Tank Bigsby1 day ago

Jaguars Want Tank Bigsby More Involved
Josh Reynolds1 day ago

Signs Two-Year Deal With Broncos
Doug Ghim2 days ago

Looks To Bounce Back At Houston Open
PGA2 days ago

Cameron Davis Seeking Consistency Ahead Of Houston Open
Thomas Detry2 days ago

A Gamble At Houston Open
Ryan Fox2 days ago

Lacks Upside Heading Into Houston Open
Andrew Novak2 days ago

Will Be Chalk At Houston Open
Josh Doan2 days ago

Scores Twice In His NHL Debut
Filip Forsberg2 days ago

Makes History In Big Comeback Win
Jamie Benn2 days ago

Scores In Fifth Consecutive Game
Sidney Crosby2 days ago

Collects Three Points Versus Carolina
Artemi Panarin2 days ago

Continues Scoring Tear With Three Assists
Joey Daccord2 days ago

Shuts Out Ducks
Sahith Theegala2 days ago

Showing Consistency This Season
Wyndham Clark2 days ago

Working Toward Star Status
Scottie Scheffler2 days ago

Heads To Houston At His Best
Sam Ryder2 days ago

Putting The Lights Out Of Late
Joel Dahmen2 days ago

All Systems Go For Joel Dahmen In Houston
Kurt Kitayama2 days ago

Ready For Houston Debut
Ben Griffin2 days ago

Finding Form Heading To Houston
Taylor Moore2 days ago

Continues Made-Cut Streak Heading To Houston
Adam Svensson2 days ago

Hoping For Consistency In Houston
Taylor Montgomery2 days ago

Looks To Bounce Back In Houston
Amon-Ra St. Brown2 days ago

Discussing Extension With Lions
Jared Goff2 days ago

Lions Discussing New Deal
J.K. Dobbins2 days ago

Cleared For Football Activities
Los Angeles Rams2 days ago

Tre'Davious White To Join Rams
PIT2 days ago

Sam Poulin Recalled From AHL
Jack Quinn2 days ago

Could Return Wednesday
Scott Mayfield2 days ago

Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery
TOR2 days ago

Mitch Marner Skates On His Own Tuesday
Trevor Zegras2 days ago

To Return Tuesday
Justus Annunen2 days ago

Inks Two-Year Extension
Nick Chubb2 days ago

Expected To Start Load Running Next Month
D'Andre Swift2 days ago

Bears View D'Andre Swift As Receiving Weapon
Cordarrelle Patterson2 days ago

Signing With Steelers
Sam Howell2 days ago

Seahawks Believe Sam Howell Can Be A Full-Time Starter
Tennessee Titans2 days ago

L'Jarius Sneed Agrees On Four-Year Contract With Titans
Dak Prescott2 days ago

No Indication A Deal Is Coming For Dak Prescott
Calvin Ridley2 days ago

To Have Big Role In Tennessee
Josh Jacobs2 days ago

To Be Used More In Passing Game
Brandon Saad3 days ago

Gets Another Goal In Monday's Loss
Logan Thompson3 days ago

Stretches Winning Streak To Three Games
Pittsburgh Steelers3 days ago

Cameron Heyward Expected To Be Healthy For Training Camp
Zach Wilson3 days ago

Jets Could End Up Keeping Zach Wilson
Amanda Ribas3 days ago

Takes Decision Loss
Rose Namajunas3 days ago

Snaps Losing Streak
Edmen Shahbazyan3 days ago

Scores Vicious Comeback Knockout
AJ Dobson3 days ago

Knocked Out In The First Round At UFC Vegas 89
Fernando Padilla3 days ago

Gets Back On Track With Submission Win
Luis Pajuelo3 days ago

Submitted In UFC Debut
William Byron4 days ago

Dominates For Victory At COTA
Ty Gibbs4 days ago

Grabs Another Solid Finish At COTA
Chris Buescher4 days ago

Texas Native Chris Buescher Finishes Eighth At COTA
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Kyle Busch Confronts Christopher Bell Following A Top-10 Finish At COTA
Justin Haley4 days ago

Disqualified After Strong COTA Run
Martin Truex Jr4 days ago

. Rounds Out Top Ten At COTA
NASCAR4 days ago

A.J. Allmendinger Worms Way Up To Sixth At COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen4 days ago

Shane van Gisbergen Comes Down to Earth After Mediocre COTA Run
Ross Chastain4 days ago

Ran Well at COTA as Usual Despite Late-Race Fade
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Furious Charge Falls Just Short at COTA
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

Scores Strong Finish of Fifth at COTA
Chase Elliott4 days ago

Finishes 16th at COTA After Lackluster Performance
Billy Quarantillo4 days ago

Suffers Submission Loss At UFC Vegas 89
Youssef Zalal4 days ago

Gets Submission Win In Return To The UFC
Cameron Saaiman4 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Vegas 89
Payton Talbott4 days ago

Scores KO Win At UFC Vegas 89
Justin Tafa4 days ago

Drops To .500 In The UFC
Karl Williams4 days ago

Remains Undefeated In The UFC
Kyle Larson5 days ago

Is One Of The Optimal DFS Options For COTA
Denny Hamlin5 days ago

Should Denny Hamlin Be Rostered For DFS Lineups At COTA?
Kaz Grala5 days ago

Is A Serviceable DFS Play For COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen5 days ago

Will Start 12th In First COTA Cup Start
Todd Gilliland5 days ago

Is A Sneaky DFS Play With Upside For COTA
William Byron5 days ago

Is One Of The Top Favorites To Win At COTA
Christopher Bell5 days ago

Is A Comfortable DFS Play For COTA
Tyler Reddick5 days ago

the Favorite to Win at COTA
Ty Gibbs5 days ago

Looking for First Career Win at COTA
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 

2024 NFL Draft: Bold Predictions and Potential Surprises for Round 1

Football never sleeps at RotoBaller! With the 2024 NFL Draft fast approaching, we're digging into what might transpire on draft night. RotoBaller analyst LaQuan Jones previews the 2024 NFL Draft and makes some BOLD Predictions about possible surprises and potential landing spots for the first round of the draft. Win MORE in 2024 with RotoBaller!... Read More


George Pickens - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Early Look At Wide Receivers In 2024 Fantasy Football Drafts

The upcoming NFL Draft is less than a month away. While everyone is excited for the NFL Draft, fantasy players are looking forward to the regular season. While we won’t have meaningful NFL football for months, it’s never too early to prepare for your fantasy football drafts. Last year, the fantasy football world saw multiple... Read More


Spencer Rattler, College Football Transfers

Underrated Rookie Draft Targets - Early 2024 Sleepers for Dynasty Fantasy Football

We are a month out from the NFL Draft, meaning if you are here, you are probably looking for draft content and reading up on prospects. You probably have all of the information you need on stud prospects like Caleb Williams and Marvin Harrison Jr. That’s not what you’re here for.  Rookie draft season for... Read More


Breece Hall - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 NFL Free-Agency Winners and the Fantasy Football Impact - Part II

The NFL's offseason, including trades and free agency, can strongly impact a player's fantasy football value. This effect can be positive or negative. For this series, we're focusing on fantasy football players who have seen their fantasy value increase. This can occur via a player's direct movement, such as a trade or signing with a... Read More


UFL RANKINGS, FANTASY FOOTBALL,

UFL Fantasy Football Rankings for Week 1: QB, RB, WR, TE Rankings and Analysis (2024)

It's finally here: the UFL season is set to kick off with two games on Saturday, March 30 and two games on Sunday, March 31. Saturday's games will be broadcast on Fox Sports while Sunday's matchups will be on ESPN. The most anticipated Week 1 matchup pits the 2023 USFL champion Birmingham Stallions against the... Read More


Jared Goff - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Will the Lions Extend Jared Goff's Contract This Offseason? 2024 NFL Outlook

Jared Goff's career in Los Angeles didn't take off like many expected after his appearance in Super Bowl LIII, and he was traded to the Lions for Matthew Stafford. Goff's first season in the Motor City was terrible, but he has completely turned things around over the last two seasons. In 2022, he almost led... Read More


Kyle Pitts - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 NFL Free-Agency Winners and the Fantasy Football Impact - Part I

Free agency symbolizes the start of a new NFL season. It's the first opportunity for NFL clubs to start addressing their weaknesses and considerably impacts how the upcoming season plays out. Just as free agency can improve or worsen a team's outlook, a player's fantasy football value is also impacted. Free agency marks the real... Read More


Malik Nabers - Fantasy Football Rankings, College FB, WR, NFL Draft Sleepers

Coach Knows Ball: Malik Nabers 2024 NFL Draft Film Breakdown of LSU WR

Welcome to Coach Knows Ball, an NFL Draft series analyzing the top prospects in the 2024 class. I'm a college football coach with nine years of NCAA experience and have been scouting NFL Draft prospects for over 15 years. This series will give a deep dive into the film of some of the top players... Read More


Avoid These Running Backs in 2024: Fantasy Football Outlook

Football never sleeps at RotoBaller! The staff is already looking ahead to the 2024 season to help our readers get the jump on their competition. RotoBaller analyst LaQuan Jones discusses five Running Backs that you should AVOID in 2024 fantasy football drafts. Win MORE in 2024 with RotoBaller! Be sure to tune into RotoBaller Radio... Read More


Brock Bowers - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers, NCAA College Football, Prospects

Brock Bowers 2024 NFL Draft Stock Update – When Will the Georgia TE Be Selected?

Georgia tight end Brock Bowers was arguably the top tight end in college football over the past few years. Bowers was outstanding his freshman year, totaling 56 receptions for 882 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns. Unfortunately, his production slightly slipped in 2022 as defenses started to game plan for the star tight end. Bowers had... Read More


Xavier Worthy 2024 NFL Draft Stock Update – When Will the Texas WR Be Selected?

Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy has been one of the top pass-catchers in college football over the past few years. The explosive receiver was outstanding his freshman year, totaling 62 receptions for 981 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. Unfortunately, his production slipped in 2022. Worthy had 60 receptions for 760 receiving yards and nine touchdowns... Read More


Blake Corum - Fantasy Football Rankings, College FB, RB, NFL Draft Sleepers

Blake Corum 2024 NFL Draft Stock Update - When Will the Michigan RB Be Selected?

Former Michigan running back Blake Corum is one of the most popular prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft class. The 23-year-old is fresh off a College Football National Championship victory and a 2023 campaign consisting of over 1,300 yards from scrimmage. However, given the devaluation of the running back position and Corum not being an... Read More


Brandon Aiyuk - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News

Will The 49ers Trade Brandon Aiyuk?

Brandon Aiyuk had a career year last season, finishing seventh in the league in receiving yards (1342), second in yards per catch (17.9), and catching seven touchdowns. For his efforts, he was named to the Second-team All-Pro. However, despite many expecting them to do so, the 49ers failed to win Super Bowl LVIII and now... Read More